4 Worst Promotional Items to Give Away (And What to Give Instead)

Posted February 20, 2017

Randomly choosing an item to give away during an event is a bad idea. You need to ensure that the item you give away fits your marketing purpose and budget.

We can never stress enough the importance of giving away free swags during a marketing event. Compared to other marketing methods, giving away promotional products guarantee a longer “shelf life.” People tend to keep the freebies they receive and use them on a regular basis. This gives your business greater exposure among your target audience.

Another advantage to using promotional items is that they are flexible and customizable. There are many items that you can use to give away, and you’ll be able to find one that fits your marketing strategy and budget. There are also many different ways that you can use promotional merchandise in your business, such as trade show giveaways, customer loyalty items, employee appreciation gifts, and holiday party gifts. Promotional items also give you room for creativity, and you get to choose the message, colours, and design so long as you partner with a reliable and trustworthy supplier.

However, you simply can’t randomly choose an item to give away and then be done with it. In order to have a successful giveaway, you need to choose the right item that matches your marketing goal and meets your budget.

Here are the top 4 worst items you can give away at an event, and what you should be using instead:

1.KEY CHAINS

These items have been overused during events, and as a result, their effectiveness at promoting your business have lessened.

What to give away instead:

Tins of fresh mints. These items will serve as a breath of fresh air. They will be appreciated and used right away, especially during events where food has been served and attendees don’t have the time to brush their teeth.

2. USB FLASH DRIVES

These items would have been the perfect giveaway a couple of years ago, but unfortunately, not a lot of people use them anymore. These days, most people store their files and documents in the cloud using popular applications such as Google Drive and Dropbox.

What to give away instead:

Mobile chargers. Most people use their smartphones all the time, and while attending a trade show or a convention, they’ll need to be in touch with their offices, take photos of the different booths, and record videos of presentations. As a result, their phones will be running out of juice, and they’ll need an additional device that will help replenish their phones’ battery life. Mobile chargers are guaranteed to be used long after your marketing event has ended.

3. T-SHIRTS WITH YOUR LOGO ON THEM

Most people would rather be caught dead than wearing a piece of clothing with your logo on it.

What to give away instead:

Statement shirts.

Statement shirts will be much more appreciated, especially if your business is targeting a younger audience. Plus points if the statements you choose to print are funny.

4. TRADITIONAL PROMOTIONAL PENS

Giving out pens in an event is the oldest trick in the book. This method has been used over and over again and in most cases, companies use low-quality pens that run out of ink very quickly.

What to give away instead:

Banner pens. Banner pens are the perfect freebies to give away because they add dimension to an overused product. Banner pens – or scroll pens – have banners that are attached to them, which can be pulled out at any given time. The banner serves as extra space that you can use to further promote your business, or provide useful information to customers.

If you want to ensure that the pens you give out will last your customers a long time, you need to partner with a supplier that already has a track record of supplying consistently high quality products at all time, such as Banner Pens.